All Nike trainers look the same, all House of Cards episodes are the same, all orange juice tastes the same, all coffee smells the same, all Honda cars drive the same, Michael Caine always plays the same character.
They don’t, but the outliers are those which we class as ‘genius’. The Beatles, Pelé, Muhammad Ali, Henry Ford, Leonardo Da Vinci, Matt Groening, Steven Hawking, Bobby Fischer etc.
Mumford and Sons couldn’t be classed in that rare sector, but they’re entertaining and a nice distraction. They’re also popular, as was (is?) The Back Street Boys, heroin, astrology and detox diets. I enjoy their lyrics, and the upbeat banjos is a constant backing to them.
Speaking of which… When I first heard The National, loved 'em. Couldn’t get enough. Because part of one line in one song I really related to. Somehow, my brain convinced me that everything else The National does is Teh Awesome. Then I didn’t hear them so much as they slid down off the high rotation playlists.
New album comes out. Song comes on radio. I’m all, “WTF is this boring mess? I like The National? I teared up at Lolla watching them? How high was I?”
I have the last 3 National albums and they all sound different to me. And I don’t think they sound anything like Mumford. As far as the buzz/promotion, each album as sold a little bit more and had more press than the previous. Each concert tour supporting the albums has move up to a larger venue and sold out faster. I actually first got into them when they were touring 3 albums ago and I went to buy tickets for an upcoming concert that was sold out. The National happened to be playing at the venue and had plenty of tickets left after doors. The next time the venue was sold out months in advance in a larger seating configuration.
The new Mumford single, the first 30 seconds sound like a much wimpier version of a popular alternative song that was previously covered by an icon, IMHO. At least that’s what it reminds me of.
ETA:
I do know on the most recent National album they actually did a radio remix of one single, that is my least favorite on the album (and my wife’s favorite). My favorite songs weren’t sent to radio or even performed live (at least not when I saw them or on some live streams I saw of festival performances).
No mention of their new single, “Believe”, which has a radically different sound for the band. It’s more like Coldplay than anything the Mumfords have done previously. I’m not sure I like it or not but it’s definitely a departure from the sound some in this thread are complaining about.
Well, I’ll second the OP’s opinion, and I actually like Mumford & Sons. They do seem to have a somewhat formulaic approach to crafting their songs, though – the double-time accompaniment, the buildup to the end, and so on. As to the lyrics, I’ve never paid any attention to them, so I don’t know.
I haven’t heard their latest album yet. I hear it’s quite different from their earlier work.
It is. As I mentioned, Aaron Dessner from The National produced it and you can hear it in the recordings. Mumford has “plugged in” so there’s less of the “olde tymie early 2010s retro hipster Oh Brother Where Art Though” vibe.
And unfortunately that vibe is a large part of what separates them from other adult alternative / indie bands like Coldplay, The National, The Fray, Arcade Fire, U2, Radiohead, and so on.
I know Mumford and Sons. I have worked at many of their shows. My first introduction was working their concert three nights straight. The pay wasn’t worth the effort. I purposely avoid them at all costs. You would be wise to do the same.
Pandora tells me all the time I should love Mumford and Sons and Coldplay. But I do not, and Pandora’s insistence is probably partly why I hate those bands so much now. Someone mentioned the new M&S album sounds like Coldplay? That’s like, a black hole swallowing another black hole of suck.
Well, we just went to the Gentlemen of the Road tour in Seaside Heights, NJ. I am neither a huge fan or a hater of M&S but, hey, a music fest and camping on the beach? Why Not? While were were well above the average age (us mid 50s and them mid-late 20s) it was a good time. M&S played a very good set and the “kids” absolutely loved them. That kind of enthusiasm is contagious. The Alabama Shakes also rocked the place. That woman can SING!
